Investigate, Review, Reflect, Act

Reflect on your team member's motivations#

Think about the motivations of your team members. Who on your team is most likely to be “fired up” by a “kudos” shout out to the rest of the team during a team lunch? Who is most likely to be embarrassed by that?

Investigate team swag policies#

“Team swag” (for example, T-shirts and other swag items that are specific to your team) is often a good way to build some relatedness among the team. It also provides a mixed intrinsic/extrinsic gift as a reward—it’s a material good, but it also builds team pride. Research your company’s policy and/or budget for such items.

Investigate new hardware policies#

One reward that frequently goes neglected is new hardware—developers are always complaining that their machines are slow! Research how your company upgrades employee hardware, and find out what process you’ll need to go through to surprise a high-performing employee with a new laptop, massive curved monitor, ergonomic chair, or something similar. In other words, figure out how to add this reward to collections as a manager.